


consequences she overlooked

by thelittleglaceon



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest Spoilers, Gen, Implied Relationships, Implied Xander/Corrin, Nohr | Conquest Route, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 11:09:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16575317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelittleglaceon/pseuds/thelittleglaceon
Summary: She lives the story of a naive princess, trapped between two families, and the war that would wage no matter what choice she chose, and how she blindly thought that she could save everyone just by believing.





	consequences she overlooked

When Corrin was younger, she remembers how she used to wish to see her siblings more often.

She spent nights in the fortress, lonely and cold, reminiscing on old stories of Nohr - how the servants would speak fondly of King Garon and his many adventures. When he was able to visit, Xander would sit next to her for hours and speak about all the adventures he was able to go on. It was hard to see the exhaustion, the anxiety, that laced behind his soft expressions, when she was younger. 

While visits were rare and far in between, Corrin knew that she'd be able to see them again eventually. To hear their voices fill an entire room, their smiles making all the lonely nights so worth it. Even if they had to cancel, they all made sure to send her letters with their loving regards.

Despite everything that would happen, no matter what fears or troubles she'd face, she knew ultimately that her siblings would be behind her side.

She wonders if her Hoshidian siblings ever felt that way about her.

If they ever stayed up late, wishing for their lost sibling to come home. If they thought about her, what she'd look like, what she'd act like, or the stories that she'd tell them. Maybe they had something more in common rather than blood, an idealistic world where they'd be able to see the family that just seemed so, so far away from them.

It's hard to think about that - what could've been.

Ryoma and Takumi, her brothers, lie in the ground six feet under.

Hoshido is in ruins, aching from the losses of their beloved queens and princes. Hinoka rules over them, a crown she thought she'd never have to wear rests on her head with sharp thorns. Sakura, from what Corrin's heard, doesn't leave her room much anymore. 

(It's Corrin's fault, really.)

On the other hand, Nohr's people are finally able to escape from decades of tyranny, with Xander trying his best to help his people heal. It's not an easy road, but he has all of his beloved family on his side to help him when he cannot support himself. Camilla and Elise spend their time in the cities, consoling and advocating for the new king, while Leo stays behind and gives Xander advice. 

Xander says that Corrin's presence there is comforting, helps him reassure himself that he's staying on the right path. He tells her that if Corrin believes in him, then he's ought to be doing something right.

It's hard to not believe in Xander. With his words, his charisma, his loyalty - it's obvious that he wants to do the right thing whenever possible. He's unafraid to fight for what he believes in. When he speaks, his passion for his country seeps into every single syllable. There's no doubt in anyone's mind that Xander is trying his hardest to help Nohr in any way he can.

Corrin wonders if the same can be said for herself.

She learned to fight due to her wishes of spending time with her family. Every hour of practice was dedicated to showing her Father that she was able to take care of herself. Corrin wanted to prove herself to them, to earn her way into her family.

A family that was never truly her's.

A family that - with Garon's ruling thumb, would never be her's. 

Spending the small amount of time she had with her Hoshidan siblings, she was accepted with open arms and welcoming smiles. Nothing but kind words were spoken to her, even Takumi tried his best to let her in. There was no doubt in Corrin's mind that they loved her, considered her family, wished for nothing more then to spend time with her. 

And weren't those the same that feelings she had once held? 

Queen Mikoto was the first parent she could remember that had embraced her.

With that kindness, the open arms that welcomed her, Corrin turned her back to it all.

She chose to return to the country that rejected her and the Father that all but abandoned her. With her sword in hand, she promised herself that she would do whatever necessary to repay back the kindness that her siblings had shown her. 

When the option finally arrived, Hoshido or Nohr, Corrin's choice came naturally to her.

Corrin, in those moments, was still that young girl trapped in a fortress - begging someone to let her see her family once more.

While Ryoma and Hinoka yelled, trying to convince her that she was making the wrong choice, Takumi and Sakura stared at her. Sakura's frail body shook like a leaf while Takumi...

Takumi kept his silence until they met on the battlefield.

It's hard not to remember Takumi's screams. They haunt her dreams, come to her at every last waking moment. She remembers his cries of anguish, claims of betrayal. It the first time he was truly open with Corrin. It was easy to see herself in her younger brother, see that same desperate need to see his family again, and the childish naivety that painted his every action.

Camilla worries about her. She claims it's not healthy to relish on the past, and that Corrin chose the right option when deciding to come back to Nohr. She tries to remind Corrin of all the good she's done, the lives she's saved, but...

What good is any of it if she wasn't able to save her own families' lives?

Corrin is almost certain that Sakura and Hinoka hate her, at least a little. 

While the girl may be the last blood family they have besides each other, she showed them how meaningless blood relations truly have. After all, their long lost sister chose to go back to the man that had killed their mother in cold blood.

Sakura tries to smile at Corrin when she visits Hoshido. There's always uncertainty, anxiety, and fear lurking behind those eyes. Her voice is soft, much more uncertain than what it used to be when they first met. Instead of being the youngest child in the royal line, she is now forced to step up as the crown princess - become able to be queen if anything may happen to Hinoka.

And Hinoka...

Hinoka doesn't look Corrin in the eyes anymore. 

She says it's hard for her, that she wished that she could love Corrin again, but she can't help but be reminded of the war they fought against each other. 

Corrin can't find it in herself to blame the Hoshidan queen.

When she looks at Hinoka, she only can see the remnants that remain of the proud princess she once was. Hinoka is no longer the stubborn girl she was known as, the one who spent her entire life fighting for the day she'd see her sister again. She can't practice the naginata anymore, can't spar with Takumi or ask for Ryoma's advice. She can't even console her younger sister as she watches her scream in terror at night, utterly helpless to do anything.

The Hoshidan royals were forced to grow up too fast, all on their own, while trying to rule a scattered country in the midst of it all. Watched as their beloved sister brought the axe down upon their people, no hesitation as she sent them to their deaths.

After the war, Corrin put all of her weapons into the treasury. The moment she has to see them again will be too soon, even if it's years from now.

Her own two hands caused the deaths of her brothers, the ones that stood up for her and fought for her even though they knew each other for mere days. They wanted to love her, to accept her, but yet she spit that kindness right back into their faces. She stomped on their mother's sacrifice, soundlessly telling them that she was unaffected by Mikoto's death.

Mikoto's final words still haunt Corrin.

_"You're not hurt, are you?"_

_"I'm glad..."_

Would she be proud of her daughter? Proud of the blood of Hoshidan and Nohrian civilians alike that drip down her hands? Would she still love Corrin, knowing that she was the one who dug the grave for both of her children? Proud of the murderous monster that resides within her?

Ryoma killed himself in order to save the sister that had betrayed him and his country.

Grabbing Rajinto, he shoved it into his stomach, blood immediately pouring from the wound, and did it so she could live without the guilt of harming her elder brother. He gave his life - his last words, all for her.

Would Ryoma still have done that - knowing that she ended Takumi's life soon after?

Would she still have chosen the path she did, even knowing that she'd be the eventual cause of death for her parents and her brothers?

Her Yato shoved into his heart, tears streaming down her face. She doesn't remember how no blood came out, how his face seemed at peace, and how he thanked her for ending his pain. Thanked her for allowing him to rest, and to finally be with his beloved mother once again. How Takumi spent his last moments apologizing for how he treated her, and telling her that he loved her.

How could she allow herself to remember such kind words from a victim that she killed in cold blood? 

The war against Hoshido had finished three years ago and it's finally now that the fruits of Nohr's labors are finally being able to bloom. Citizens feel comfortable enough to walk out onto the streets, to start businesses and markets, and to talk to soldiers without fearing for their lives. King Xander has put his heart and soul into creating a better place for his people, and the people are grateful for the efforts of their new king. He is beloved, his name being cheered on the streets, and Nohr is starting to finally feel like a country to be proud of again.

Corrin smiles when she sees the crowds of people that come to the castle's entrance. Their cries of joy, excited cheers of gratitude - it's a Nohr that no one has been able to see before, and Corrin was able to help create this new country alongside the siblings she so desperately craved to see.

She eats dinner with them every night, and she's able to wish them goodnight before she goes to bed. It's what she wished for most for as a child, the reason why she betrayed her birth rights in Hoshido.

When Camilla hugs her, when Xander praises her, when Leo fights with her, when Elise plays with her - it's what she's always wanted.

But was the cost truly worth the reward?

Did she make the right decision choosing Nohr? Should she have chosen Hoshido, tried to help protect the peace loving country? 

Corrin feels as if she'll ever be able to figure out what the right decision would be. No matter what she chose, people would still have died, and their blood would still be on her hands. Her mother still would've died meaninglessly, and Corrin would still be unsure of why the blood of a dragon runs through her veins.

Her story, no matter how she could try to rewrite it, will always be full of death and tragedy.

Was choosing Nohr the lesser of two evils?

She thinks at Xander, the proud and noble king of the country she learned to love as a child, and she thinks about the days they used to spar together. How she'd used to watch him practice outside of her window, and how she admired his continuous tenacity to be the best person that he could. He doesn't express remorse for the fallen members of the Hoshidan family, but it's clear for Corrin to tell that he also blames himself for being unable to save them.

But it was her fault. It was all of her fault.

She lives the story of a naive princess, trapped between two families, and the war that would be happen no matter what choice she chose, and how she thought that she could save everyone just by believing.

What a fool she was.

"Little princess," Xander says, putting a gentle hand on Corrin's shoulder. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes. I'm alright." Corrin stutters, suddenly brought out of her thoughts, and turns to look towards her elder brother. She coughs to try to steady her voice. "Is there anything you need me for?"

"I thought you could use some company," Xander moves down to sit next to her, the weight near her is comforting in itself. "It's about time we spend some more time together."

"Thank you." Corrin says, forcing out a small smile in spite of herself. "I'd like that."

_What a fool she still is._


End file.
